The estranged wife of incoming Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has been shot dead two days before his inauguration.<\/p>\n
Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was travelling home with a friend when both women were shot by an unknown assailant, the police say.<\/p>\n
The police add the motive is unknown and an investigation is continuing.<\/p>\n
The couple had been living separately since 2012 and filed for divorce which hasn’t been granted yet.<\/p>\n
BBC southern Africa correspondent Karen Allen reports that neighbours claim there had been an incident earlier in the week when a group of unidentified men were spotted hammering on the First Lady’s door.<\/p>\n
She won a high court battle against her husband to secure the privileges of a First Lady, instead of Mr Thabane’s youngest wife, Liabiloe, reports the AFP news agency.<\/p>\n
Mr Thabane is now living with a third wife.<\/p>\n
Samonyane Ntsekele, the secretary general of Mr Thabane’s All Basotho Convention party, told AFP that the prime minister was devastated by the shooting.<\/p>\n
“Everyone is traumatised by these developments,” he said.<\/p>\n
The election took place earlier this month and was the third election in three years.<\/p>\n
There is a bitter power-struggle in the country and Mr Thabane still has enemies in the military, our correspondent adds.<\/p>\n
His inauguration is still expected to take place on Friday.<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"